weight and depression

sselraef

Finally got a good DR and good councilor and I think I can finally get this depression/anxiety under control
I was just wondering if anyone found that they lost weight once they got their mind under control
or if it was the opposite?
How did you get up everyday and go workout when you were down?
and how did you not eat everything when you were down?
I feel as though I eat more when I'm happy...
uhm.. basically I'm also asking if your mood effected how you took care of yourself
and how you got that under control
or if you have any suggestions

cmriverside

The benefits of exercise and healthy eating cannot be overstated. My life changed completely when I started exercising moderately 4-5 times a week and eating healthy, whole foods. Giving up sugar is also a good way to regulate your brain.

Just keep learning and questioning. I found it helpful to have a journal on my computer to work through my issues as they come up. You'd be surprised what you can teach yourself by honest introspection.

journalistjen

I know that 9 times out of 10 when I'm depressed if I go exercise I'll feel better. Plus it helps that I generally enjoy the activities I do. Usually this works. Only a couple of times did I really just not want to go or didn't feel any better afterward.

AmyFett

To me, it's common sense how you take care of yourself affects your moods. I feel better when I'm not fat and gross. I feel better after exercising. I felt better stopping my anti-depressant against what my doctor advised. I know my body and myself better than anyone else. I feel ENTIRELY better off of it. I had a VERY traumatic experience about 2 years ago and have severe anxiety and get panic attacks now and all, I still have medication for that as a just-in-case type thing. When I was on meds, I didn't exercise. I was lazy. Now, I want to do more, though I don't lately. I'm concentrating on my diet more than exercising because, I know this sounds like an excuse, but I really don't have a lot of time this past week or two to do much. Only time I have is during the day when I have my kids up with me, but it's near impossible to workout with them, I've tried. Counseling will help you BIG TIME too. That's something I've needed to deal with what happened to me, but money doesn't make it possible.

laserturkey

Mood has an effect on how you take care of yourself, for sure. Getting regular exercise definitely helps with mood. If you can get started and MAKE yourself exercise, eventually you will gain momentum and feel more like being active anyway. Start small, if you need to, with 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there. You don't have to do a 60-minute, super-tough workout to see some benefits.

lik_11

My life has been a recurring cycle of getting depressed and losing lots of weight (without trying), getting ahold of my depression, then becoming fat when I'm happy. It's a vicious cycle that I'm working hard to break! Currently- my life is ok... I'm not depressed, but I'm not thrilled with life, either. But- I'm more healthy than I've ever been in my life.
Last night, I was in a horrible mood, and I went to a zumba class. By the end of the first song- I was smiling and loving the fact that I was there challenging myself. By the end of class- my endorphins were up and I was in a great mood the rest of the night. Although I don't think the results would have been the same if I'd gotten onto an elliptical or something tedious. The most important advice I can give is try to find some exercise that you really enjoy doing... something that doesn't feel like you're working out. At first, I found group classes a bit scary- but I've found that surrounding myself with a lot of people in a high energy situation really helps bump up my mood.
GOOD LUCK!!!

f15htank

i'm an emotional eater, so i've come to realize that food is how i ignore the fact that i'm not a happy person. and realizing that, i think i will be able to lose weight no problem because i honestly would like to be able to realize my own unhappiness and try to really fix the issues that are there. so because that has become my main reason for losing weight, i think it's really helpful for my mind. before thinking about all this, when it was just about being skinny, my ups and downs affected how i eat a lot, and i could never go long without emotional bingeing. i'm trying to retrain my brain to not take a shortcut out of my problems with food.

i second the journal idea. you might already do that, but yeah just having a journal about how all this is going that nobody else reads has been really great for me.

floridagirl7264

I suffer from bipolar depression and general anxiety disorder. After years of trying different meds, it is finally under control. I do find that I feel better when I exercise because I know I'm doing something for me. I also feel better after showering. Something so little can really make a difference how you feel. Also if you have a messy house, cleaning it and keeping the house uncluttered helps a lot. These may sound like nothing to the ordinary person, but to us, it makes a huge difference in how we feel mentally. Losing weight will be a big difference in how you feel. It's not easy when you're feeling depressed, but you have to make yourself so these things. I know you don't feel like it, but force yourself. You'll be less depressed in the long run. :flowerforyou:

Rays_Wife

Eating right and exercising has been like medicine for me. Once I found MFP 9 months ago, started tracking my food and exercising regularly my depression has subsided A LOT. I have had bad depression for years. I haven't felt this great in a long time! My mind is definitely more under control now. It still hits me a little from time to time, but not nearly as bad as it used to be. I have an enthusiasm for living now that wasn't there before.

I would say just put one foot in front of the other. Take it one day at a time. Have patience. I had to force myself to go through the motions a lot, especially in the beginning. Now it's just what I do, and I actually look forward to my exercise and tracking my food. I stick to it now because I have seen results and know it works if I work it. On my bad days where I just want to lay in bed, I think about why I am doing this. I ask myself "Do you really want to go back to the way you used to be?" The answer is always no. Then I get up and do what I have to do. After I am done, I ALWAYS feel better

For once in my life, I actually care about myself enough to take care of myself. You should too Love yourself, you are worth it. Don't be so hard on yourself when you mess up (because you will). Just pick yourself back up and continue on with your plan. The days I messed up I always logged it no matter how bad it was. There is some pretty ugly stuff in my food diary :laugh: But as long as you are honest with yourself, you will succeed. The longer you stick to it, the easier it becomes. You sort of just build up this momentum, and after awhile you don't want to break it!

And most of all, you don't have to be perfect - just consistent.

Rays_Wife

I suffer from bipolar depression and general anxiety disorder. After years of trying different meds, it is finally under control. I do find that I feel better when I exercise because I know I'm doing something for me. I also feel better after showering. Something so little can really make a difference how you feel. Also if you have a messy house, cleaning it and keeping the house uncluttered helps a lot. These may sound like nothing to the ordinary person, but to us, it makes a huge difference in how we feel mentally. Losing weight will be a big difference in how you feel. It's not easy when you're feeling depressed, but you have to make yourself so these things. I know you don't feel like it, but force yourself. You'll be less depressed in the long run. :flowerforyou:

Great advice and very true

icimani

I struggled with depression for many years so I can totally relate.

A lot of people will say that activity helps. And it does - I don't dispute that. But there were certainly times when just getting out of bed in the morning was all I could do. Now, I'm learning to respect myself enough to take care of myself, and a life style change leading to weight loss is a part of that.

It's a journey and there aren't any quick fixes. I'm really glad you're getting help.

Feel free to friend me. It's hard enough dealing with depression let alone trying to lose weight. And it's hard enough trying to lose weight without dealing with depression too. I'm really glad you're getting help. The right meds and the right therapist can be a lot of help.

TeachTheGirl

I spoke with my OB/GYN earlier this year about depression. She was genuinely concerned (likely because I'd just had a baby and there was a risk of PPD, like I had with my son) and asked me what options I was interested in taking. She suggested medication or a counselor but I asked if she could recommend any supplements that might help. I started taking them. I felt no different.

I joined a gym in March and stuck with the program. Joined MFP about a week after I started my gym. As the weight started coming off, so did a lot of the depression. Weeks of depression turned into mere days. And now I am genuinely able to recognize my depression as just feeling 'blue' or when I am actually depressed. I spoke with my doctor again recently, and she was very proud that I took control of my depression but told me that other outlets are still available if/when I need it.

Find something you love doing. Commit to it. Commit to YOU. You are worth it, and your depression WILL tell you otherwise, but if you keep on keeping on, you'll find those days where you feel blue become less and less.

Good luck.

CaptainPhil

An old quote: "Free your mind, and you *kitten* will follow!"

Once you decide to be active a couple things generally happen:

1) the universe will test you and your dedication. Stay the course and it will stop hindering and then start helping
2) A lot of the "stuff" you thought was something big will turn out to NOT be.

Also, do not get caught up on the scale. it is a liar. Plan your work, then work your plan. Scale will go up and down, but the REAL measure is how you feel and how your clothes begin to hang off you. THAT is the mark of success.

Good Luck! I am captainphil if you want to add me and we can support each other.

annehart00

How I do it:

I made sure I got all my micronutrients - Bs, D, and Magnesium keep cortisol in check. Many people who have suffered from depression (like me), produce too much cortisol. Dealing with stresses (depression) over long periods raise production of the hormone long after the stress is gone.

Exercise helps but sometimes its just not in the stars. Don't let guilt over not getting your butt up bring you down. Instead do something nice for your body. Try a spa treatment on those days - a body scrup or a massage. Show your body love today, and it might mover for you tomorrow.

Blueberries - personally they make me happy, joyous even.

Binge issue - I read Chistopher Fairburn's Overcoming Binge Eating and Anita Johnson's Eating in the Light of the Moon.

sselraef

Thank you everyone,
really appreciate your input
Looks like I have a lot of exercising, reading, and journaling to do